Transcript Registration Checklist for Comps

Preparing For
Comprehensive Exams
in SLIS
presented by
Dr. Hsieh-Yee
Dr. Kelley
October 12, 2007
Agenda for Tonight’s Seminar
 6:00 – 6:15 - Basic review to prepare for
comprehensives
 6:15 – 6:30 – Questions & Answers
 6:30 – 6:45 Group activity I: A question
that failed
 6:45 – 7:15 Group activity II: A question
that passed
 7:15 – 7:30 Final Questions & Answers
 7:30 Adjourn
First Steps
1.
Register for the Exam.
You must register for comps on-line through
Cardinal Station before the end of the
add/drop period as either:

COMP 598: Master’s Comps with
classes
or

COMP 599: Master’s Comps without
classes.
2.
Fill out and return the Comprehensive
Examination Ticket.
You may download the Comprehensive Examination Ticket
form from http://slis.cua.edu/forms/Comps_Ticket.pdf or print
it out from the Comprehensive Exam Packet at
http://slis.cua.edu/courses/comps/index.cfm. You may also
come into the office and pick up the form. Once you have
completed the form, please return it to the SLIS office in one
of the following ways:
e-mail it to: [email protected]
fax it to:
202-319-5477
mail it to:
The Catholic University of America
School of Library and Information Science
205 Marist Hall
RE: Comps Ticket
Washington, DC 20064
3.
Fill out and return the Diploma Application
You may download the Diploma Application from
http://slis.cua.edu/forms/DiplomaApplication.pdf or print it out from
the Comprehensive Exam Packet at
http://slis.cua.edu/courses/comps/index.cfm. These forms are also
available in the SLIS office or in the Registrar's Office. Once you
have completed this form, please return it to the SLIS office or the
Registrar’s Office by e-mailing, faxing or mailing it.
N.B.: Diploma Applications for the fall and spring semesters are due
the first week of October. If you do not submit a diploma application
by then to SLIS then you will have to submit one directly to the
Registrar’s office and there is no guarantee that your diploma will be
ready in time for your graduation date. Summer graduates i.e.
people taking comps in July are not due until April.
4.
Request Accommodations

If you feel that you need special accommodations for any reason,
please talk with the Dean.
Requests for ADA accommodations must be cleared through the
campus Office for Disability Support Services (Suite 207, Pryzbyla
Center; 202-319-5211; email [email protected]). You
may download the Request for Accommodations form from
http://slis.cua.edu/forms/CompsAccommodationsRequest.pdf or print
it out from the Comprehensive exam packet.


Students entitled to special accommodations under ADA must
contact both Jeannine Marino and the CUA Office of Disability
Support Services to discuss their needs.

Students whose native language is not English will be allowed extra
time (10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.) on the examination upon request, and
they are allowed to use dictionaries in their own language. (There
will be English-language dictionaries in the examination rooms.)
Requests should be made to Jeannine Marino ([email protected]).

Students taking comps for the second time are also given special
accommodations (including privacy and extra time: 10:00 A.M. to
5:00 P.M.).
Additional Helpful Information
about Comprehensives
 If a student fails to complete any of the required items on
the checklist- s/he may not be permitted to sit for comps
and will have to wait until the following semester.
 We really do check your transcripts so make sure you
have completed or are enrolled in all 4 core classes, you
have taken 8 additional classes and you have no
Incompletes.
 If you already have an advanced degree and are only
required to take 10 courses, rest assured Jeannine really
does check that you have the previous degree.
 If an accurate transcript of this previous degree is not in
your student file, you will have to submit an official
one before you sit for comps.
Additional Information (2)
 Head phones are not allowed in the testing room, so if
you will be distracted by others please bring ear plugs.
 On exam day, please remember to check in at least 30
minutes before the exam with Jeannine. Checking in
does not take long but you will have to proceed to the
testing room which might be across campus, so allow
yourself time to walk there without stressing about being
late.
 RELAX, RELAX, RELAX!!! Do not show up on campus
the day of the exam at 7:00 AM to cram in some last
minute studying. Take the time to relax and get mentally
prepared. Most students who struggle with comps do so
because they can not focus properly on exam day.
Graduation Dates and Diplomas
 The University has three dates for graduation each year:
 October, January and May.
 For October and January graduates the date is the third
Thursday of the month.
 For May graduates it is always the second or third
Saturday of May. This is because that is when the
Academic Senate meets to officially approve the
graduates from each school. For May graduates the
Senate meets on the Tuesday before graduation to
approve the graduates.
 If you take comps in the Summer the next closest
graduation date is October 2007. In October, your name
will be submitted along with the rest of the SLIS students
who took comps in the summer for approval.
Graduation Dates and
Diplomas (2)
 If you take comps in October the next closest graduation
is January 2008. Once you have been approved officially
by the Academic Senate, the Registrar’s office sends you
your diploma by USPS priority mail by the following
week.
 There is no graduation ceremony in the fall or winter.
There is only a ceremony in May. You are invited back to
the ceremony in May.
 Also, since the University sets this policy not SLIS, we
are always willing to write a letter on your behalf to any
current or prospective employer stating that you have
completed the requirements of the degree and that the
University’s policy is to officially confer degrees in
October, January and May.
Questions?
Group Activity I
Question 1
 Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of copyright laws as they
currently impact collection development
and collection use in libraries
The Answer is in your
packets
Group review of the exam
answer:
 Split into groups of 4 to 6
 Review the suggestions by Father Theall
 Review the items on the slide about evaluating





the answer
Determine the positive and negative aspects of
the answer
What was good about the question?
How could this question be improved?
Identify a group reporter
Share your thoughts on the question and what
you learned about developing a comprehensive
exam answer
In Considering the Answer
 Did the student answer the question in
its entirety?
 Did the student draw on the literature to
answer the question?
 Did the student use a professional tone
in his/her response?
 Did the student make a defensible
argument?
In Considering the Answer (2)
 Did the student provide a sufficiently
developed answer to ensure s/he
demonstrates mastery of the question?
 Did the student use examples that were
highly relevant to answering the
question?
 Did the student end the essay with a
recognizable conclusion?
Group Activity II
Question 2:
 An article in a professional journal for our field
states, “In 2004 the digital vs. print debate is
over, and digital has won; some of us just
refuse to believe it.” Take a position on this
statement. You may agree or disagree, but you
must explain your rationale for the position you
choose. Your discussion should reflect the
literature you’ve read, the classes you’ve taken,
and your own assumptions about the field of
librarianship. In addition, discuss how you will
work with others who support the other position.
The Answer is in your
packets
Final Questions?
Good luck!
Relax!